New D.C. Restaurants to Try This Fall

The D.C. dining scene is constantly and quickly evolving. This fall, you have so many options to choose from when you’re searching for an exciting new place to eat that you might need help. Whether you check out one of these newly opened hot spots or don’t mind waiting for the next high-profile eatery to open in the coming months, you’re in for a fantastic night of dining.

Set high above the water at District Wharf, you’ll love dining at La Vie, which offers a wonderful view alongside its coastal French menu. The restaurant’s dramatic design is something to be seen—the cavernous layout is filled with unique touches like fresh Provençal herbs and flowers in the dining room and a Mediterranean blue lounge in the center of the space.

Slated to open in late fall, The Imperial is expected to feature one of the biggest vintage spirit collections in the region. This anticipated opening from the Jack Rose team, dubbed Dram & Grain 2.0, will also feature a restaurant and year-round rooftop bar. With a menu of dry-aged steaks, seafood, pasta, and raw bar options, this new eatery will surely be one to check out.

Build your own four-to-seven course sampling from a mix of avant-garde dishes by famed chef Matt Baker at this hot new DC restaurant. The warehouse-chic design of Gravitas only adds to the dramatic dining experience at this new eatery. The tasting-only menu features a variety of unique options, including tons of vegetarian plates. 

Set to open in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose complex, Julii is a French-Mediterranean restaurant from the founders of Cava. Designed by local firm HapstakDemetriou+, this unique restaurant will feature a day-to-night design, allowing it to pivot from a coffee shop during the day to a more sophisticated eatery serving cocktails and a French-inspired menu in the evening.

With a menu mixed with traditional curries and kabobs and a selection of unusual Indian-inspired menu items, Pappe is another newly arrived hot spot in the city. Spice lovers will enjoy the fiery menu, which also features a selection of spicy cocktails, just as much as the cozy modern interior.